Residents ask about street sleepers, potholes and health

If one message was sent loud and clear from last week's Crawley Question Time it was that not enough money is being injected into the town's services.

From potholes and paving to education and the NHS, many of the issues raised by residents at the Civic Hall on Thursday (March 8) revolved around the need for more funds.

The panel was chaired by Ross Sturley, principal of the Chart Lane media company, and was made up of Councillor Peter Lamb, leader of Crawley Borough Council, Councillor Duncan Crow, leader of the opposition, Councillor Peter Smith, cabinet member for planning and economic development, Chief Inspector Rosie Ross, of Sussex Police, Olivia Jeffries, of Crawley Young Persons Council, Vicki Illingworth, principal of Crawley College, and Dr Laura Hill, of Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group.

The issue of potholes was one of the first to be raised, with concerns that some of the temporary fixes carried out by West Sussex County Council were crumbling within a couple of weeks.

Mr Crow, who has served as county councillor for Furnace Green and Tilgate since 2005, told the meeting that, since Christmas, the council had repaired 250 potholes.

He said: “There is a lot of resurfacing going on that is better than temporary pothole fixing. It’s not something that’s going to get solved over night.”

There was good news for one road in particular. The condition of Mitchells Road, in Three Bridges, has been highlighted by residents for a number of years.

Mr Crow confirmed the road would be resurfaced in the next few months.

Mr Lamb warned that a lack of investment would see the problem get worse over time.

He said: “If it’s bad now I wonder how bad it’s all going to be next year. I have some sympathy for the county council because we know its budget is bad and it’s only going to be worse over time.

“But this is simply the reality of living in a country where we choose not to put money into public services any more.”

Mr Lamb also questioned the wisdom of outsourcing services to private contractors, warning that “you might get it cheaper but you don’t usually get better”.

He added: “You do wonder if you would get a better deal bringing it back in-house.”

Mr Crow was quick to point out that the borough council had no such qualms when it came to outsourcing services such as the running of K2.

He added: “For me what works is what matters, rather than having a dogmatic view as to whether something should be a public or a private service.”

Mr Crow also told the meeting that a new provider would take on the highways contract this summer.

Questions were also asked about the condition of the town’s pavements, with some concerns about the safety of children and older people.

Mr Smith’s response was a simple “There’s not enough money”.

Describing the situation as “a disgrace”, he added: “I really get tired of people telling me about them because it’s right across my ward, particularly on the eastern side of town.